[Birnam Woods. Military drums and flags. Enter Malcolm, several Scottish Thanes, and the English Lord Siward with his son leading the combined English and Scottish forces]
Malcolm
Cousins, I hope the days are near at hand
That chambers will be safe.
Menteith
Siward
What wood is this before us?
Menteith
Malcolm
Let every soldier hew him down a bough
And bear't before him. Thereby shall we shadow
The numbers of our host and make discovery
Soldiers
Siward
We learn no other but the confident tyrant
Keeps still in Dunsinane, and will endure
Our setting down before 't.
Malcolm
For where there is advantage to be given,
Both more and less have given him the revolt,
And none serve with him but constrained things
Whose hearts are absent too.
Macduff
Attend the true event, and put we on
Siward
That will, with due decision, make us know
What we shall say we have, and what we owe.
Thoughts speculative their unsure hopes relate;
But certain issue, strokes must arbitrate —
Towards which, advance the war.
[Exit, marching]
